Horsey, Norfolk – Dunes, Mere, and Coast on the Norfolk Coast Path

Sand dunes, open beach, and wetland edge between Sea Palling and Winterton-on-Sea

Horsey sits directly on the Norfolk Coast Path along the east Norfolk coast between Sea Palling and Winterton-on-Sea. The trail follows sandy tracks and grassy paths through low dunes beside a wide beach, while just inland the reed-fringed waters of Horsey Mere form part of The Broads National Park.

The settlement stands on flat coastal ground between sea and wetland. Underfoot, progress alternates between compacted dune paths, sandy sections, and short stretches of minor road near the mill and church. The beach is broad and open, with low dunes providing shelter from the wind and long, uninterrupted views along the shoreline.

Horsey is small and lightly developed, with scattered cottages, a historic windpump, and seasonal visitors drawn to the coast and nature reserves. Facilities are limited, giving the area a quiet, remote character compared with larger seaside villages nearby. The mix of dunes, grazing marsh, and open water creates a varied but low-lying landscape with big skies and few vertical features.

From the hamlet, the Norfolk Coast Path heads west toward Sea Palling along sandy tracks and dunes before reaching sea walls nearer the village, or east toward Winterton-on-Sea, where the dunes widen into larger sand systems and protected habitats. The terrain remains largely level in both directions, creating an easy and continuous stretch of coast.